I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to garments worn by joggers, cyclists, backpackers and other persons for the purpose of deterring assaults and kidnappings by an attacker, and more particularly to vests which contain a visual display of its purpose and a permanent dye which can be released by the wearer.
II. Description of Prior Art
Outdoor exercise for women has become an increasingly risky venture in recent years. Joggers, cyclists, and backpackers have frequently been the target of criminal activity in the form of assaults, rape, kidnapping and murder. Common to most of these attacks is the absence of hard evidence as to the identity of the assailant, because the outdoor environment renders the recovery of hair samples and other forensic matter exceptionally difficult. Moreover, the attacks against women during outdoor exercise generally occurs while the woman is wearing very light clothing, making it difficult for the woman to carry protective equipment in the form of a gun, mace or other self-defense item. Consequently, the best ways for women to avoid becoming the victim of a violent attack are to: (a) deter the attacker from selecting the woman as a target at all, and (b) make the actual attack very difficult or undesirable for the attacker. As will be shown herein, the present invention satisfies both of these requirements in a manner that engenders confidence and security for the woman, and that does not interfere with the exercise activity.
Another troubling problem is that if an attack occurs, law enforcement officials may have a hard time locating the victim if she is either disabled or deceased. If the victim is still alive, time is of the essence in finding the person before further harm occurs. If the victim has been killed, recovery of the body as quickly as possible is essential to gathering time-sensitive evidence and pursuing the criminal. The ensuing description of the present invention will disclose how these situations can be resolved through a single well-designed garment.
Prior art safety garments for outdoor exercisers are numerous and widely variant as to their specific features. While the garment design can take many forms, such as a pair of shorts, a jacket, or even a belt or wrist band, the most common type of garment is a lightweight vest. For example, most vests used for this purpose are easily zipped or otherwise opened and closed in the front of the wearer or along the sides. They are usually light and “breathable” in that the fabric contains holes for passage of air to keep the wearer from becoming overheated. Additionally, these vests typically employ bright colors, reflective surfaces or illumination devices so that they can be readily seen by persons in vehicles or rescue workers.
What is noticeably lacking in these garments are features which specifically address the problems with the aforementioned attacks. While reflective surfaces and bright colors may serve as a deterrent to some small degree, these garments can be removed by the assailant during or after an assault, making the garments worthless from an evidentiary standpoint. Furthermore, there is nothing to link the victim to a specific attacker if an assault does occur. What is needed, therefore, is a garment for joggers and other persons which can: (I) provide a visual cue to would-be attackers that any attack will encounter difficulties, (2) allow the wearer to activate an audible alarm and/or release a permanent dye onto the attacker that will connect the attacker to the crime, (3) assist in locating the victim through the use of a canine detectable scent, global positioning system (GPS) transmitter and/or sonar transmitter, and (4) preserve evidence needed for a conviction of the assailant through the use of fingerprints and dye stains.